Following our Fred Daly win over Edmonstown yesterday we had three more matches out this afternoon.
First out were our Men’s Junior Cup team who played Rathfarnham. Managers, Ray Crotty & Brian Frawley and their panel have been working hard in preparation for this tie and, with three matches away needed their players to be at their best today.
Brain Frawley was out first in Greystones and got off to a slow start, finding himself four down through five holes after four straight losses from the second. Wins on seven and nine bookended a loss on the eighth and Brian headed to the tenth three down. He was finding his rhythm at this stage and got good halves on the tenth and eleventh and gto back to just one down with wins on twelve and thirteen. His tee shot on the fourteenth found the bunker however, and he was only just inside his opponent after his bunker shot and was back to two down after the Rathfarnham man held his birdie putt.
The very experienced match player, Chris Boylan was second out at home and had to polar opposite of starts to Brain. Chris was four up after five and turned three to the good. Wins for Chris on the tenth and eleventh had him in full control and a par on thirteen was enough to win the hole and the match 6&5.
1-0 Greystones
Meanwhile in Rathfarnham, Toby Murphy took up where he left off yesterday in the Fred Daly. Toby played excellent golf by all accounts. Like Chris at home, Toby turned three up and also won the tenth and eleventh holes to go five up. Halved holes from there to the fourteenth and the match was won, 5&4.
2-0 Greystones
Second out away was Harry Kirk who was playing great and two up after the front nine.
Our final player in Rathfarnham today was Chris Lawless who, like Toby and Harry started well to go three up after five. Chris was pegged back to one up after nine but after winning ten to get a two hole buffer looked like he was in control of his match also.
Back at home, Brian had halved the fifteenth but had lost the sixteenth to a par to lose his match, 3&2.
2-1 Greystones
As this was unfolding, Harry had hit the pro button and won ten, eleven and twelve to go to five up and just needed two halves on the thirteenth and fourteenth to win his match 5&4 and the tie for Greystones.
Chris had won the thirteenth to go three up with five to play when called in.
An excellent performance all round by all involved.
Straight after our men’s Junior Cup team, Jacinta Dean’s Women’s Senior Foursomes team took on Grange.
On paper this looked like it might be a one horse race with no shots being given but with the Grange players having a significant handicap advantage over our Greystones team.
It was hoped that a last minute home pairing swap by Jacinta might somehow spoil the party however when the team sheets were exchanged they showed that, our home pairings were each twelve shots higher than their opponents while in Grange it was a more even affair.
First out at home were Sophie Lumley & Mary Lockhart. Both Greystones players were playing well but in particular Sophie was fantastic today. They turned an impressive five up and despite a loss on the tenth were in total control. They won the eleventh, a clutch five foot putt from Mary for a half on twelve kept the momentum, and when Mary found the green with their second shot on thirteen, with their opponents in trouble, it was enough for a brilliant 6&5 win.
1-0 Greystones
Shauna Siefried was out second, playing with Iris Haughton and again both players were in great form with Shauna excelling. Despite losing the ninth Shauna & Iris were two up after nine. The tenth was halved and when Grange won the eleventh, against the run of play it took a great bunker shot to four feet from Iris on the twelfth to restore the Greystones advantage to two holes.
Meanwhile, in Grange, Aishling Marmion & Niamh Kielty were in a tight match early doors with three wins each, including an eagle win for Greystones on the third, through the first six holes. From there however Aishling & Niamh took command and were two up after nine and were playing like they were not going to relinquish their advantage. Excellent play from both players from eleven to thirteen resulted in three wins and their half on the fourteenth closed their match and the tie with an impressive 5&4 away win.
2-0 Greystones
Shauna & Iris were two up on the thirteenth when called in.
Congratulations to Jacinta, Lisa Croke (who looked after the Greystones side of the tie today) and all the team on a very impressive performance. With our girls junior Captain Isabella, due back next month after two months golfing in the US, to augment the team it’s onwards and upwards.
Finally this afternoon Deirdre Ahern and her Carton Cup team headed for Kilmashogue to play the previously postponed away leg of this tie.
Last week the team, most of which were having their first taste of competitive inter-club matchplay, went down 5-0 at home and were hoping for a better result in the away fixture.
As last time, Deirdre put Pauline Short-Foley out first. Pauline had lost 3&2 last time out but this week, despite being two down after five, won the next three holes to take a one hole lead and played great to halve the ninth to win her match and the first Greystones point.
Mary Nohilly had lost narrowly last week and played well again today but was up against a strong player who won the first four and was in control from there on. Mary had a great win on the sixth but a loss on the seventh closed the match out for Kilmashogue, 4&2.
Avril O’Farrell was out third, as last time, and like Pauline was anxious to have a different result to the home leg where she had lost 3&1. Today, Avril was solid and held her nerve after losing the seventh and eight to see the match go level, to score a great win on the ninth and win her match 1up.
Debutante, Celine Marmion was out next and played very well, to win the first but her experienced opponent settled in from there and despite Celine’s best efforts the match went to Kilmashogue 3&2.
Deirdre’s final player today was yet another debutante, Teri Cullen. Like Celine, Terri won the first and halved the next three holes, playing very well. Her opposite number was also playing well and got a bit of a head of steam up from there and the match went to Kilmashogue by a margin of 3&1.
So a 3-2 win for Kilmashogue but a great performance by all the Greystones players. Hard luck, but well done to Deirdre and all her squad.
